Terraforming Updates - August 2013

It's been a few months since my last update on various development projects, so here is a quick round-up of a few things you can expect in the coming weeks:

Newbie experience overhaul

A completely new, streamlined intro is well underway. The aim of this is to get players into the "real" game sooner, while still providing a fun and immersive experience.

A massive overhaul of newbie tasks, a tiered system that unlocks as new players learn the basics of Achaean life.

Redone character creation is coming soon, allowing the proper amount of time/information to make an informed choice about their character. Phase 1 of this is already in, with the new graphical portion in the HTML5 client, but this will go even deeper as we release the new intro/task systems above.

Classleads

Priest and Paladin classleads are underway! Similar to the Occultist report, there will be some exciting new changes (especially for Priests) that add some more depth and potency to the class, while still retaining the established lore and focus.

Bashing rewards overhaul

The team has been hard at work on developing a new system to expand bashing rewards beyond gold and experience. That's all I'm going to say on this one, you'll have to wait and see this system in action in the very near future.

City Destruction / war changes

We've got some tweaks in the "design" stage here, aimed at making the system a little more fun and balanced for attackers and defenders alike! The ACC is currently mulling it over, but I'm going to post the discussion in a more public forum soon, allowing everyone to comment and help shape the overhaul.

Of course, this isn't all that's happening, with many fun and exciting RP situations occurring across Sapience and beyond at any given time.

I'm going to leave this thread open for a few days, feel free to ask any questions you may have about the above, or anything Achaea-related at all, and I'll do my best to answer them.

We've got some tweaks in the "design" stage here, aimed at making the system a little more fun and balanced for attackers and defenders alike! The ACC is currently mulling it over, but I'm going to post the discussion in a more public forum soon, allowing everyone to comment and help shape the overhaul.

I meant to write a long post about some changes but been too swamped the past month to elaborate. My thoughts were to treat the "Soldiers" of a city more like a High School or College treats one of their sports programs. Create a more party duel type format so the numbers are even (thus more fun). This has a side benefit of balancing out the combat in each city. What can't make the Varsity team of Ashtan? Maybe you'll move to Hashan if you love combat enough. Class composition itself will also balance itself out, the Minister of War is going to pick a balanced roster that gives them the best chance of victory. The largest cities will still have an inherent advantage (their top 5% is the top 20% in a much smaller city for example) but at least its not a complete effort in futility.

Eeeeeee I'm so excited for the changes! Especially classleads for priests - I can't wait to see what they bring in.

For the war system changes, is that discussion going to be on the leaders board, or somewhere on the general forums? For all the tasks changes, will older adventurers be able to do all of those again, as well?

Edit: Smily needed to express excitement.

"You have had an extraordinary adventure, my dear. Extraordinary! One that few people could ever imagine. Treasure it. Keep it safe and secure, tucked away in some special place in your heart.

Eeeeeee I'm so excited for the changes! Especially classleads for priests - I can't wait to see what they bring in.
For the war system changes, is that discussion going to be on the leaders board, or somewhere on the general forums? For all the tasks changes, will older adventurers be able to do all of those again, as well?
Edit: Smily needed to express excitement.

The team has been hard at work on developing a new system to expand bashing rewards beyond gold and experience. That's all I'm going to say on this one, you'll have to wait and see this system in action in the very near future.

...!

Yay! Anyways, is this intended to be a change for dragon-level people, or will the rewards overhaul encompass things for players of all levels?

The team has been hard at work on developing a new system to expand bashing rewards beyond gold and experience. That's all I'm going to say on this one, you'll have to wait and see this system in action in the very near future.

...!

Yay! Anyways, is this intended to be a change for dragon-level people, or will the rewards overhaul encompass things for players of all levels?

I'm as excited about multiclass as the next person, but it was previously listed as "distant future", and since it's taken over a year for this "round" of classleads, I can't see it being enough of a priority to make it in before like next March.

1) We could already use another classlead round

2) The implications of multiclass will change the nature of the House system for starters. A lot to take into consideration IC before it happens.

I am excited though.

It'll mean more lesson spending, more artefact purchases, less artefact trade-in... good things for IRE.

@Xith Multiclass does and will probably not change much or anythin about class rp. Not like people bother to roleplay their class for the most part, sadly. I expect things will continue very much how they are. Those who care will find a way to roleplay it, those who don't will continue to talk about resetting legs and mechanics on city channel and will only care about the combat aspect of things.